First of all let’s get something straight, Extraterrestrial does not have any aliens in it. In fact, the only real science fiction in the film is used to keep the characters locked in an apartment from fear of alien invasion. From there the Spanish director Nacho Vigalondo turns the film into a dark romantic comedy that focuses on human relationships and human flaws.

Extraterrestrial begins with the lead character Julio (Julián Villagrán) waking up in an unfamiliar bed. He has no idea where he is but a bra on the floor lets him know that he got lucky after a night of heavy drinking. Soon he finds out that the apartment belongs to a beautiful woman named Julia (Michelle Jenner) as the two shared those awkward-next-morning moments that are typically accompanied by hangovers. With nearly identical names maybe Julio and Julia are meant to be?

As Julio is about to leave her place he notices that his cell phone has no coverage and asks her if he could use her cell phone. Sure enough, Julia’s cell phone lacks reception as well. Being without cell phone reception and internet access is pretty much a crisis in of itself in our modern world. Then he begins to notice how empty the streets are in the busy city, not even a single soul is walking about.

Using the oldest form of technology Julia owned, a radio, the two hear an emergency broadcast telling everyone to stay indoors. Julio glances out the window towards the sky to see a huge alien ship covering the city. Luckily, Julio is an industrial designer so he is able to estimate that the ship is probably around 4 miles wide. The two do what they are told and remain indoors. Being that Julio finds Julia attractive, he has no problem obeying the request.

As night falls Julia is getting tired so she goes to sleep in her room. It appears as if Julio is stuck on the couch in the living room which is an ironic turn of events from the previous night. It is funny how when they were both drunk and did not really know each other they were alright to sleep together but now it is completely opposite. Julio does not seem to mind much because he is not sleepy anyways.

Things begin to get real interesting the next morning and not because of any alien attacks. Julia’s boyfriend Carlos (Raul Cimas) returns home so the two make up a story that Julio blacked out and Julia brought him in to save him. Carlos is a fairly laid back kind of guy, accepts the story and insists that he stays for his own protection.

As if a love triangle was not enough drama for one apartment, the creepy stalker neighbor Angel (Carlos Areces) is invited over, turning it into a love square. I am not exactly sure what the reason is that Angel is invited over, since Carlos despises him because he knows he has a thing for Julia. Angel is an important player in this game though because he knows the secret Julio and Julia are keeping from Carols.

It sure sounds like a synopsis of a soap opera but Extraterrestrial is more of a dark romantic comedy than anything else. The science fiction elements disappeared as quickly as it entered and you start to see what the film is really about, the study of human relationships and how we react in critical and awkward situations. The film is also about how one lie has a snowball effect to more and more lies and lies within lies.

Vigalondo took what could have been a sci-fi heavy story and turned it into a rather simple yet entertaining film about human relationships. Not only that but Vigalondo got us to side with each of the characters in the film despite each one have their own flaws. I went into Extraterrestrial not knowing much about the film and it was completely not what I expected. I believe the film benefited a lot from that.

Summer officially begins on Wednesday June 20, 2012 for the Northern Hemisphere and the staff here at Way Too Indie wants to make sure your cinema schedule is set when summer begins. After careful consideration we came up with our Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of the Summer. We also had four films that may be worth checking out as honorable mentions that did not quite make our Top 10.

#1 Beasts of the Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild has generated a ton of buzz wherever it has played. New York Times said it was one of the best films to play at Sundance in two decades and Roger Ebert recently said it is the best film he has seen this year. Perhaps what is most impressive is that all this buzz surrounding the film was accomplished by a first-time filmmaker, Benh Zeitlin. To his advantage, the star of the film Quvenzhané Wallis, has people eating out of her 7-year-old palm with her performance. Whether or not it can live up to all the hype remains the biggest question but that did not stop us from putting it as our most anticipated film for the summer. It is safe to say June 27th has been marked on our calendars; you should probably do the same. [Dustin]

UPDATE: Our review of Beasts of the Southern Wild

#2 Prometheus

People predictably went nuts when it was announced that Ridley Scott would, after 30 years, be making another science fiction movie. Then we found out it was possibly but not definitely related to Alien in some capacity (it was originally planned to be a prequel). Then we got a cast with the likes of Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce and Idris Elba. Then came the teaser for the actual teaser, the teaser, the teaser for the actual trailer and finally the trailer itself which blew everyone away. If you could sum up 20th Century Fox’s marketing campaign for Prometheus in two words it’d be “blue balls” but the strategy is working beautifully. Prometheus looks like the movie event of the summer, a smart and terrifying sci-fi film that’ll knock our socks off. Even if the movie ends up being a flop, the marketing team deserves some kind of award for their work. [CJ]

UPDATE: Our review of Prometheus

#3 Killer Joe

Let me start off by saying that I’m a huge William Friedkin fan. I actually wanted to see this at TIFF last year it just didn’t fit into my schedule. I wish I had. The film supposedly has Matthew McConaughey’s best performance to date and is rumored to feature some outlandish scenes involving fried chicken. McConaughey is hired by a red neck family to kill one of their family members for the life insurance. When they can’t foot the bill, McConaughey takes interest in the young girl of the family. I imagine things don’t go as planned in this gruesome thriller. [Blake]

#4 The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan’s newest film has so much buzz around it one wonders if the film will overcome it. Of course, every other film Nolan has done has so you’d think this will have no problem. Based on trailers this trilogy will not have a good ending. Batman’s newest villain Bane seems to want Gotham to burn to the ground. From bringing a football stadium to rubble to blowing up bridges, Bane looks to be giving a serious makeover to the city. The Dark Knight will be a hard movie to outdo, but knowing Nolan, he should have no trouble with this feat. [Blake]

UPDATE: Our review of The Dark Knight Rises

#5 The Loneliest Planet

If you haven’t heard of Julia Loktev (and odds are you haven’t), go seek out Day Night Day Night. The movie, which followed a suicide bomber as she prepared for an attack in Times Square, was a nerve-wracking experience that kept piling on as much tension as possible until its final act. While Day Night Day Night had its share of issues, it sounds like Loktev has improved considerably with her next film. The Loneliest Planet premiered last fall on the festival circuit to rave reviews and is finally getting a limited release in August. The synopsis, about a couple backpacking in the Georgian wildness, sounds simple but according to reviews there will be a lot more surprises in store. [CJ]

UPDATE: Our review of The Loneliest Planet

#6 To Rome With Love

Would you have ever expected a light comedy about time travel with Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Salvador Dali to become a hit? I don’t think Woody Allen even imagined that Midnight in Paris would go on to become his highest grossing movie yet, but it ended up being his best film in years and one of the most entertaining movies of 2011. This year Allen continues his tour of Europe, landing in Italy with the likes of Alec Baldwin, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page and Penelope Cruz. It’s unlikely that Woody Allen will have the same amount of success as last year (looking at the rest of his recent output, Midnight in Paris was the exception and not the rule) but even at his worst Allen’s films are light enough that they serve as a nice counterweight to the big blockbusters filling up the majority of the screens over the summer season. [CJ]

#7 Moonrise Kingdom

It is hard not to be excited for a film that has Wes Anderson’s name attached to it. Add in the fact Moonrise Kingdom has a plethora of talent cast members that include; Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Frances McDormand, and Tilda Swinton and is about enough for anyone to be excited for the film. From watching the trailer you can see that Wes Anderson’s uncompromising style is present here as it is in most of his other films. The film is about a boy and girl who fall in love and run away. Laughs, claps, and even tears may be in store for this film. [Dustin]

UPDATE: Our review of Moonrise Kingdom

#8 Your Sister’s Sister

After watching the film Humpday I have kept director Lynn Shelton on my radar. Which has turned out to be an easy assignment because she has not done a film since Humpday in 2009. My ears perked when I heard she would be doing another film called Your Sister’s Sister. It is easy to see the resemblance in Your Sister’s Sister to Shelton’s previous work. The film was shot in just 12 days and apparently was mostly improvised. It certainly looks like it could provide a genuine and fresh take on a relationship film when the lead character starts to fall for his friend’s sister. Update: I saw the film a day after this was written and I can say it was definitely worth being excited for. Read my review. [Dustin]

UPDATE: Our review of Your Sister’s Sister

#9 Take This Waltz

Keep in mind I did not see Sarah Polley’s first feature, Away From Her. The film went on to receive a couple of Oscar nominations and had a lot of critical support. This is another film I planned to see at TIFF last year, but was sold out before I could get tickets. Take This Waltz stars Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams as a married couple living in Toronto whose marriage is put to the test when Williams starts to fall for a man who moves in across the street. A good supporting turn by Sarah Silverman backs up the leads. [Blake]

UPDATE: Our review of Take This Waltz

#10 Ruby Sparks

It is hard not to compare the plot of Ruby Sparks with Stranger Than Fiction, a struggling writer who in this case does not only hear the voice but can see the fictitious character he made up. However, I believe the creators of Little Miss Sunshine will add something special to the tired plot that has been done before. Paul Dano seems like a perfect choice for the film since directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris worked with him previously in the excellent Little Miss Sunshine. At the very least, it looks like a romantic comedy that is actually worth seeing. [Dustin]

Honorable Mentions: Here are four films that almost made it into our Top 10.
Extraterrestrial
Safety Not Guaranteed
Compliance
Red Hook Summer

Day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival I see The Descendants, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Extraterrestrial and the documentary Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory. Here are my first impressions and mini reviews of the films.

Fantastic movie. This is gonna be a big crowd pleaser. George Clooney stars a Hawaiian land baron whose wife is in a boating accident that leaves her in a coma. After finding out that she will never wake up he goes on a quest to tell friends and family about the bad news. He first picks up his oldest daughter from a prep school on a different island. Clooney in this is a horrible father has utterly no clue on how to raise two daughters and rightfully admits it. The movie is very funny. Lots of great one liners that will have people smiling. Mixed with that comedy is a lot of heart. Some very great moments between Clooney and his oldest daughter. Clooney will surely walk away with the Best Actor Oscar come February. The film was directed by Alexander Payne who has made one of my favorite films in Sideways. This film isn’t as good, but it is a terrific follow up.

Far and away the best film I’ve seen at TIFF this year. This movie is listed as a psychological thriller but make no mistake this is the best horror movie of the year. Very VERY unsettling film about a girl who leaves a cult in upper New York state and tries to assimilate back into normal life with her sister and her new husband. The movie shifts between past and present events, making it murky enough that sometimes you don’t know at which point in time you’re at. But it’s never confusing. John Hawkes plays the leader of the cult and is downright scary. Never losing his cool always remaining calm, you never know when he’s going to burst. He is excellent. Elizabeth Olson (younger sister of the Olson twins) is mesmerizing in the lead role. She wants help but you can tell she just doesn’t know how to ask or she’s either too afraid to. This movie rattled everyone to the bone at my screening. Beautifully shot and edited. This is a must see.

This is the new movie from the director of Timecrimes (which is a phenomenal film by the way). The plot involves a love triangle (or is it a love square?) that is interrupted by an alien invasion. This movie was fun. It had absolutely no aliens in it at all. The film concerns itself with how humans react in dire situations. How they treat each other, themselves. The film asks a lot of questions, like what would you do if you were locked in an apartment with the woman you loved and her boyfriend? If you were threatened by one of her neighbors who knows secrets about you. Very fun, very funny lark of a science fiction film.

The third (and hopefully final) film in the documentary series about the West Memphis Three. If you haven’t followed this story, it’s about 3 teenagers in 1993 who were convicted with the murder of 3 young boys in the woods of Arkansas. No evidence was provided at the trial to link them to the murders. They wore black, listened to heavy metal and dabbled in the Wiccan religion. One was sentenced to death and the others to life in prison. With absolutely no physical evidence to tie them to the murders. The first film was about the trial and getting to know all parties involved whether they were the victims parents or the convicted boys’ families. The second film shifted it’s focus to one of the parents of the victims as possibly being a suspect. This third film presents new evidence showing the 3 teenagers (now men in their mid to late 30’s) could not have possibly committed the murders. It also shows a possibly new suspect in the case.

The 2011 Toronto International Film Festival is about to begin and I will representing Way Too Indie there. We previously posted the films we are most excited for but here is the list of films I will be seeing (some of which were on that list). Expect mini-reviews to follow as well as my general experience of the atmosphere in the city of Toronto.

Synopsis: Idiosyncratic, cheeky and uncategorizable, the films of Guy Maddin are testaments to the singular vision of a great contemporary cinema artist, and Keyhole may be his boldest film yet. A surreal indoor odyssey of one man, Ulysses Pick (Jason Patric) struggling to reach his wife (Isabella Rosellini) in her bedroom upstairs, this hypnotic dreamlike journey bewilders and captivates.
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Synopsis: A look at what happens when partners from different social backgrounds engage in in physical relationships.
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Why excited: Not only is it black and white but it is a silent film.
Synopsis: Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

Synopsis: Intimate interviews and life stories of several inmates condemned to death in a Texas prison.
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Synopsis: Martin, a mercenary, is sent from Europe by an mysterious biotech company to the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for the last Tasmanian tiger.

Synopsis: Two sisters find their relationship challenged as a nearby planet threatens to collide into the Earth.

Synopsis: A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong.

Synopsis: A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident.

Synopsis: Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.

Synopsis: Everyone knows what to do if one morning the sky would be absolutely full of UFOs: run as fast as you can. However, what would happen if the invasion started while you are in the flat of the girl of your dreams, the one you have just met?
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Synopsis: A further investigation into the arrest of three teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of killing three young boys in Arkansas and spent nearly 20 years in prison before being released because DNA evidence proved their innocence.
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Synopsis: Follows veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, as he struggles to take care of his family, and fights for his own survival.
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Synopsis: The story of a young woman clinging on to her dream to become a beauty contest queen in a Mexico dominated by organized crime.

Synopsis: A suicide survivor works for a nameless corporation, where he puts other employees through series of bizarre performance tests in this dystopian, Tarkovsky-esque sci-fi and surreal dark fantasy, with flashes of dark humour and deep emotion.

Synopsis: A group of cooks at an asylum for the criminally insane get locked in with the inmates during a massive thunderstorm.
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Synopsis: The team behind “Baraka” reunites for another journey around the world, exploring themes of birth, death and rebirth through stunning visuals and music.
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Synopsis: A drama centered on 30-something Brandon, his myriad sexual escapades, and what happens when his wayward younger sister moves in with him.
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Synopsis: A mysterious underground outfit, going by the name of ALPS, offers bereaved individuals a very unusual service: they stand in for their dearly departed.